iPhone 5 release date: pre-orders set for September 12, second wave in October

iMore reports that pre-orders for the device will kick off that day and shipments will begin nine days later on September 21.

According to the report, a second wave of iPhone 5 launches, for international markets, will come about three weeks later, in early October, likely on Oct. 5.

The site also notes that this release schedule is similar to last year’s, when the iPhone 4S was unveiled on October 4 and pre-orders began on October 7.

The launch in the United States and six other countries followed on October 14, and in the second wave the handset arrived in 20 additional countries two weeks later.

A BGR report said that an AT&T source confirmed that the device will launch in the third or fourth week of September.